Arthur, what are you doing?
by TardisBluePen
Summary: A series of oneshots, each story containing the title phrase. Ch. 1: "Arthur gets caught daydreaming, and it's a little embarrassing. Pre-Fischer job." Genres and ratings may vary. R&R please! :D
1. Daydream

**Hello! So, this is my first Inception fic, and I am really excited about it! I do hope that I have everyone in-character, so please let me know! Also, feel free to point out any grammar mistakes, constructive criticism is welcomed, but NO flames please! =]**

**Couple things: 1) the **_**italics **_**are their thoughts. 2) no, they don't all wake up at the same time, so don't get on my case. 3) don't ask me whose dream they are in, it doesn't matter. 4) they are doing a workshop, not an assignment. 5) they are all lying on those really long "beach" type chairs...that's all. the rest is from my imagination.**

**Disclaimer: sadly, I own nothing. but I do plan on owning Inception...once it's out on DVD.**

**Enjoy. =)**

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When he heard the music, Arthur woke.

His heart still racing from the kick, Arthur sat up and placed his head in his hands, trying to catch his breath. He took out his loaded die and tossed it; it fell quickly to the floor, reassuring him that he was back in reality. He sighed.

Once his heart rate had reduced back to normal, he looked around, noticing that the rest of his colleagues were still in the dream world.

After scanning the room once, his eyes fell on the petite architect-

_Ariadne._

He said her name quietly to himself.

He'd admit, he'd been having a hard time not thinking about her lately. And he'd been having an even harder time keeping his eyes off her since she had first entered the empty warehouse to do her first workshop with Cobb. Speaking of Cobb, Arthur mentally thanked him for recruiting Ariadne; he'd never met anyone so compelling.

She shifted slightly, and he quickly averted his eyes, in case she was about to wake up. She merely rolled onto her side, however, and continued to breathe quietly.

Arthur let out a sigh of relief and continued to gaze at her. She sure was pretty. He liked the way her hair was done up today, a simple ponytail, but with a few strands of hair falling elegantly around her face. He also liked the way it was so flawlessly wavy, the way it smelled, the way it looked in the sun. He liked the way that no matter what she did with it, it always looked so _perfect_.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and imagined a scene: the two of them, sitting together, her head leaning on his shoulder. They gazed into each others eyes, hers half hidden by a stray lock of her hair. He brushed said lock of hair away from her face, and their faces began to get closer, until-

He opened his eyes suddenly. He really shouldn't be thinking about such things, especially when they needed to focus on their assignment. He rubbed a hand over his face, and was about turn away when something else caught his eye:

Her paisley scarf.

Hesitating for a brief moment, he stood up and walked over to her. He knelt down beside her chair, and took her scarf in his hand, letting the soft material flow over his skin. He closed his eyes again, and breathed in her scent. Vanilla. It was intoxicating.

Ariadne's totem fell suddenly to the floor, clattering loudly, and rolled away. But Arthur didn't notice. He let his hand fall to the smooth skin of her neck, this time imagining a scene much more intimate, when-

"Arthur, darling, what are you doing?"

The loud, faux-shocked British voice jerked Arthur out of his daydream suddenly. Ariadne's eyes shot open and looked at him, and he stumbled backward, falling flat on his back.

"Ariadne!" he scrambled to get up, gasping for breath. She was breathing heavily too, and it was hard to say which of them was more startled. Arthur looked around for the source of the voice. He found Eames, the first of the team to wake, chuckling to himself. Arthur silently cursed him. He turned back to Ariadne.

"I was just, uh..." he gulped. "I, uh-"

She was looking at him curiously.

"I like your scarf." He blushed.

"Oh." She nodded, blushing as well. Her head was still pounding with the adrenaline from him having been so close to her, and her heart was beating much faster than normal. Trying to restore her breathing to a normal rate, she nodded again. "Okay, thanks." She looked away from him.

"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. Neither of them said anything.

Luckily, the rest of the team had begun to wake up, and Arthur quickly hurried away to talk to Cobb about the assignment. Ariadne watched the two of them conversing, Arthur determinedly not looking at her, his jaw clenched and his cheeks bright red.

Ariadne turned her back to him and smiled to herself. Poor Arthur. He didn't know that she had felt the kick about 5 minutes ago. He didn't know that she had felt her scarf shift slightly when he handled it, she had smelled his cologne when he had knelt beside her, and the jolts of energy that his touch had sent racing through her body had felt so good, so real; she knew that it couldn't be part of the dream. When she had swiftly and silently nudged her totem out of her pocket, and listened to it fall to the floor, she knew this was real. Arthur was real. And his touch had most certainly been real.

And she craved to feel him again, to feel his skin against hers.

She took a shaky breath. She knew she shouldn't be daydreaming when there were much more important things to focus on, but she couldn't help it. Still thinking about Arthur and trying to remember the feel of his hand, she didn't notice Eames watching her, seeing her wide grin, guessing what she was thinking...until-

"Enjoying yourself, sweetheart?" Eames grinned at her. Ariadne stuck her tongue out at him, and silently scolded him for interrupting Arthur's moment earlier. Eames just chuckled and walked to his desk.

Ariadne rolled her eyes; she hated that she could be read so easily. _But luckily, not by Arthur._ She glanced at him, before deciding to get up and move back to her desk as well, picking up her totem on the way. Once she had sat down in her seat, she placed her chin in her hands, and after making sure that both Eames and Arthur were preoccupied with something, she let a huge grin take over her face again.

_Yes Eames,_ Ariadne moved a hand to where Arthur had touched her, and closed her eyes; she could still feel his warmth on her skin. _I am._

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**So...what did you all think? PLEASE review, it means the world to me, and I will continue to write more if I know people like it! Press the button, make my day. =) also, if you review, you will be invited to mine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's wedding! xD**

**~ByTheBeautifulSea**


	2. Breakfast

**Hello again! Many thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I loved them so much! I think this chapter is one of the quickest I've ever written, and I have high hopes for actually continuing this "multi-chapter story" (it will be my first continued one), all because of you lovely people and your wonderful reviews! So, THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH! :D**

**This chapter is just a fluffy, funny little scene between Ariadne and Arthur, it takes place after the Fischer job. I really hope this flows well, I kept changing it cos some parts just sounded awkward to me...Again, let me know if you spot any mistakes or OOC-ness. It will be much appreciated!**

_**Italics **_**are her thoughts.**

**A/N: These oneshots are not really related or connected, they just all include the title phrase (Arthur, what are you doing?) in them, in one way or another. These are in no particular order, and they don't have to be read in any particular order.**

**Disclaimer: I own a lovely Joseph Gordon-Levitt poster. (i.e. a picture of him I printed off the internet on a plain piece of paper, taped to my wall). Nothing else.**

Ariadne slept well that night. For the first time since the Fischer job, she dreamt. A good dream, too. With a contented smile on her face, she rolled over, but found the spot beside her empty.

"Arthur?"

She sat up, twisting the drawstring on her pajama bottoms nervously between her fingers, and feeling a little worried. She didn't like not knowing where he was. It made her feel so unsafe and uncomfortable, so vulnerable and out of place, so _scared_...the list went on and on. Luckily, a response came to her in the form of the shower running. After finding and flicking over her totem for good measure, Ariadne breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, where else would Arthur be? Wake up, shower, eat breakfast...this _was_ his normal morning routine, after all. Ariadne smiled to herself as she slipped out of bed. Their bed. The thought of that made her grin bigger, and a light blush fell upon her cheeks.

It had only been a week since she and Arthur had started seeing each other outside of the job. And although they both knew it wasn't the best idea to do so while they were on a team together...well, Cobb had never played by the rules either. And she had just felt so much better since she and Arthur had begun staying together. She slept better, she had better dreams, and she just felt so much calmer over all. And so much happier.

Feeling in a particularly good mood, she set her Ipod on shuffle and turned the volume all the way up. She then moved into the kitchen as her speakers began to blast a mix of some of her favorite rock songs. First up: KISS.

"I wanna rock 'n roll all night, and party every day!" She hummed along to the song as she made her way out of the room.

_Hmm, what to make for breakfast? _she wondered as she entered the kitchen, and began her search for food.

But after looking through every cupboard, cabinet, shelf, and drawer-she even stared into the fridge for a good 10 minutes-she decided that there were just too many options to choose from. She would never be able to decide on something; she'd need Arthur's help.

_It wouldn't be a good idea to make breakfast without Arthur anyway, _she told herself. _What if I made the wrong thing? _He did have a tendency to get annoyed at the littlest things. So, she decided to consult him about the question of breakfast because, curiously enough, as long as she and Arthur had been seeing each other, she didn't actually know what he liked to eat.

_How strange, _she thought, and she chuckled. They were dating, and yet, she felt like she knew so _little_ about him. One of the few things that she **did **know about Arthur was that he never cooked. Whether it was because he couldn't, or that he simply didn't want to, she didn't know. But whenever he **had** taken it into his responsibility to feed the two of them, he had usually gotten them takeout. But it was far too early in the morning for Ariadne to enjoy Chinese or McDonald's. Besides, she didn't really feel like going out.

So, hoping that Arthur was, for once, in the mood for something that wasn't fast food, she made her way to the bathroom to ask him. All thoughts of breakfast left her head, however, when she turned down her music-Journey's 'Anyway You Want It', one of her favorite songs-and she heard something a bit strange.

"Anyway you want it, that's the way you need it, anyway you want it!"

With a curious smile on her face, she pressed her ear to the bathroom door and heard it again.

"Ooh, all night, all night! Oh, every night!"

Ariadne clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from bursting out laughing. _This is so amazing! _she thought. She just couldn't resist listening to him, just a little bit longer.

"So, hold tight, hold tight! Ooh baby, hold tight! Oh, she said anyway you want it, that's the way you need it-"

It had gone on long enough. Ariadne was sure that if she listened any longer, she'd probably die from a heart attack. Or a spazzing attack. Choking back her laughter, she quietly opened the bathroom door, and crept into the room.

"Arthur?"

Arthur did not hear her, for he was still stuck in his own little world; she could hear him energetically imitating the song's guitar solos, as well as see him dancing around behind the shower curtain.

Ariadne took a calming breath, before raising her voice to a shout:

"ARTHUR!"

The loud, enthusiastic voice went suddenly quiet. Ariadne could see Arthur's silhouette behind the shower curtain go still. She went right up to the curtain and pulled it back slightly, poking her head in. Arthur's back was to her.

"Arthur?" She asked.

"Hm?" He wouldn't face her.

"Umm...what are you doing?" She couldn't stop a chuckle from moving past her lips.

Arthur was silent for a minute. She could see his ears turning red. "When did you turn off the music?"

"Um...about a minute ago. I'm sorry," Ariadne was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Arthur must have heard her poorly-concealed laughter, for he sent a glare over his shoulder.

"I'M SORRY!" Ariadne laughed. "I didn't know you'd be enjoying it so much!" Her face was getting redder; it was becoming harder for her to contain her laughter.

"I love Journey." Arthur stated simply. He turned off the shower, got out, and wrapped a towel around himself. He still wasn't facing her.

"I could tell." She was now leaning on the wall for support. "You seemed so enthusiastic."

The line that was Arthur's mouth was getting thinner and thinner.

"And- and you sing so well!" She choked out.

"Okay, Ari."

"And your guitar solos!" Ariadne couldn't help it anymore. She had slid down the wall to sit on the edge of the tub, clutching her sides, and tears were streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

Arthur just sighed and walked out of the room.

"Aw, c'mon Arthur!" Ariadne stumbled after him, clinging to every available surface to keep herself from toppling over. Arthur ignored as he pulled on a pair of boxers and a shirt. His face was still red. "You were so cute!"

"Ariadne!" Arthur suddenly turned to face her, and she bit down the laugh that was trying to fight it's way out of her throat. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Don't call me cute." He tried to sound serious, but Ariadne noticed a small smile creeping onto his face. Feeling relieved at his lighthearted manner, she saw no harm in teasing him a little bit more.

"Aww, but you ARE!" She walked over to him, and pinched his cheek. Just because she could.

"Stop it Ari." He grabbed her wrist and pushed it down, away from his face.

She just smiled her adorable smile. "Or what?" her voice dared him.

He said nothing. Her smile got wider, and she leaned up, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"C'mon, I need you to tell me what you want for breakfast." She she curled her hand around the arm that was currently gripping her wrist, and pulled him to the kitchen.

"We've been staying together for a week and you don't know what I like to eat?" He looked startled at the news.

"Well...no. Not other than Chinese and Mexican take-out anyway." She grinned. "Honestly Arthur, haven't you ever eaten a homemade meal?" She sat him at the table and began pulling out dishes for the two of them.

Arthur looked a bit resentful at that comment. "I eat cereal every morning for breakfast."

"Cereal's not _homemade_, Arthur, it goes straight from the box to your bowl. You don't _make_ it." Ariadne rolled her eyes. "Besides, I think you should try something new. Now c'mon. Tell me what you want, and I'll make it for you."

Arthur said nothing. Ariadne noticed that he looked a bit clueless as to what he should say.

"Scrambled eggs? French toast? Waffles?" she giggled, trying to help him out.

"Um...scrambled eggs?"

"Good choice." She smiled and took out a frying pan. "2 scrambled eggs, coming right up!" She bent down and pinched his cheek again.

"Cutie."

**I hope you guys liked the music I picked out for this chapter, I thought it suited them pretty well. And I know Arthur wasn't singing the lyrics in the right order, but I did that on purpose, it seemed pretty in-character for him. And yes, he eats a lot of take-out. xD**

**PLEASE R&R, it helps me want to write more! =] ALSO, if you guys have any ideas for a scene you might want to see happen, message me or put it in a review, and I will try to write it for you!**

**Much love! :3**

**~ByTheBeautifulSea**


	3. Karaoke

**Good lord, this is a long one! 0_O *that'swhatshesaid* LOL!**

**Summary: OKAY, so this chapter is less focused on their thoughts and more about just stuff happening. This chapter is also kinda two ideas in one, sooo...yeah. Everyone (besides Arthur) is either drunk, or well on their way to being so. Post-Fischer case, the team is celebrating their success on the assignment. Ariadne and Arthur are dating. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do NOT own anything you recognize, but one day I will. [evil grin]**

**A/N: Okay, so I'm not super pleased with this chapter, but I wanted to post something before I left for camp. In fact, I might end up rewriting this one after I get back, but we'll see. Let me know what you guys think please!**

**SO, sadly, I will be leaving for camp tomorrow, and nothing will be updated until after I get back (August 21). SORRY! D:**

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"Arthur, darling, have another one!" Eames grinned a huge grin as he shoved another drink into the point man's hands.

Arthur gave the forger a suspicious look-Eames just pasted an innocent smile on his face-before downing his glass.

"Eames," Ariadne tapped him on the shoulder. "What exactly are you doing?"

Eames made sure Arthur couldn't hear him before saying grimly, "I'm trying to get your boyfriend to loosen up and have some fun, sweetheart." He downed his shot in one gulp. "Doesn't look like it's working though." They both looked at Arthur as he continued to drink.

"You know, I don't think putting many drinks into him is going to work, Eames." Yusuf said as he joined them. "I mean, Arthur's reeeaally good at holding his liquor, maybe you should try a different approach!" He wasn't bothering to keep his voice down.

Arthur turned to face him. "Different approach to what?" he asked.

"Umm..." Yusuf glanced at his companions for help, but they all quickly avoided his gaze; if Arthur's fury was to be unleashed, they did not want to be dragged into the line of fire. Yusuf continued nervously, "Well, Arthur, we wanted to take a different approach to...um..." Yusuf's hands were messing with the hem of his shirt.

"What Yusuf is trying to say, Arthur," Cobb cut in as he, too, joined them, "is that you're too down all the time!" He made a dramatic hand movement and spilt about half of his drink. "Come on, man, lighten up! Join the rest of us in celebration! Aka...have another drink!" He slung an arm around Yusuf's shoulders and gulped down the rest of his cosmopolitan, complete with a little umbrella.

"Cobb, man, good cover!" Saito high-fived him.

Arthur ignored them. "I'm celebrating man, I'm lit up." he said blandly while signaling to the bartender for another drink.

Eames scoffed.

"Maybe he's right, you know, maybe we should just leave him be." Ariadne said. "I mean, this **is** how Arthur celebrates," She gestured to the many bottles around Arthur, but Eames cut in.

"Prove it."

"What?" Arthur responded almost immediately.

"I said," Eames went right up beside Arthur and placed his face close to the point man's, "prove it." he enunciated the words slowly and deliberately.

"No." Arthur turned his head to take a drink, but-

"Do it or I won't give you back your beer." Eames yanked the bottle out of Arthur's hand and held it high above his head. Arthur merely looked up at his unopened beer for a few seconds, before heaving a sigh and flagging down the bartender again.

"Oh, bloody fucking hell-" Eames began, but Ariadne stepped in.

"Eames!" she pushed him gently aside, and brought Arthur's hand down, clenching it in her own. "Arthur," she began, putting on a sweet voice. "Would you like to sing karaoke with me?"

Arthur looked as though he could be considering it, but- "No." He said it forcefully, looking away from her. He wasn't sure he could stand to see her disappointment.

"Why not?" Ariadne dropped her sweet disposition rather suddenly, and let go of Arthur's hand to place both of hers on her hips.

Or face her anger. He didn't know which was worse.

"I don't sing." he said simply. When Eames wasn't paying attention, Arthur reached up and grabbed his beer from with barely any effort at all, opened it, and took a sip. Eames looked scandalized.

"Bloody bastard, thinks he's so clever-" he muttered continuously to himself. He couldn't believe he had been outwitted by the straight-laced, stick-in-the-mud point man! Ariadne wasn't too happy either, she looked murderous, and it was only when Cobb came and placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders that they simply huffed, and moved away to a table on the other side of the room.

With a glance behind him, Arthur could see the two of them muttering, most likely about him. Eames shot him a dirty look.

"Yusuf, take some drinks, go talk to them, and I'll try to get this mud-stick to have some fun." Cobb said. Yusuf nodded, grabbed a couple of beers, and headed to the back table. Cobb picked up a half-drunk martini off an abandoned table and gulped it down before turning to Arthur.

"A'ight, look man," he slurred at the point man. "We all came here to celebrate, and-and if you can't have funs with the rest of usss..." he was stumbling over his words so much, Arthur didn't even bother trying to make sense of what he was saying. Cobb just continued to slur nonsense words at Arthur, not really noticing that he wasn't listening.

"But you should-get up there...and...do your thing!" Cobb finished extravagantly, slamming his hand on the counter. They sat in silence for a minute, before- "Ya know what I mean?" he added suddenly.

"Yeah, Cobb. I'll get out there, and...'do my thing'." Arthur took the last sip of his beer.

"Ooh, what thing, darling?"

Arthur suppressed a groan as he heard Eames' voice behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know that the forger had an incredibly smarmy grin on his face. He decided to ignore it.

"Decided to have some fun yet, Arthur?" Eames teased him.

"Nope."

Eames frowned. "Alright, then. I guess it's up to me." And he marched off with a determined look on his face.

"Where is he going?" Ariadne asked in wonderment.

"I have a hunch." Yusuf muttered.

"I think I know." Cobb said at the same time.

Ariadne's eyes widened when she saw that Eames had stepped onto the stage with a microphone in his hand.

He was going to do_ karaoke._

"Oh, my, god." Ariadne's mouth formed the words, but no sound came out. She couldn't wait to see this. Eames doing karaoke could only lead to a hilarious disaster. Ariadne had a funny feeling she was going to die laughing. She was already encountering a giggling attack, and he hadn't even started singing yet! The three men were looking at her like she was crazy. But their attention was quickly drawn back to the stage when Eames spoke.

"Alright, this is a fun one, so you all had better get up and dance with me!" Eames said enthusiastically. "Come on!" he urged the crowd. People all around began to get out of their seats with excited and curious looks on their faces.

Once he had a decent amount of the crowd on their feet, Eames smiled and began a beat.

_Boom, clap, boom dee clap, dee clap_

_Boom boom, clap, boom dee clap, dee clap_

_Woah, woah_

Eames shook his head around a bit in time to the music.

_Boom boom clap, boom dee clap, dee clap_

"Omigod" Cobb and Yusuf said at the same time. Neither of them could seem to take their eyes off the man on the stage. Ariadne had been so overcome by a fit of giggles, she could barely breathe. Arthur had turned around in his seat, and he was staring at Eames with a look of unbelievable wonderment on his face. Eames' grin grew bigger as he got ready for his solo.

_1, 2, 3, everybody off your seats_

_I'm gonna tell you 'bout a beat that's gonna make you move your feet!_

The audience didn't need instructing, however, and once the remainder of people sitting had realized what the song was, they had all gotten to their feet with enthusiasm.

_I'll give the bar-b-q , show n' tell you how to move_

_If you're 5 or 82, this is something you can do_

Eames put the mic in the stand, and got ready to do the dance. Ariadne held her breath in anticipation, she was afraid of how good he would actually be at this. Cobb and Yusuf were peering through their fingers at Eames, giggling quite a bit, and wondering the same thing as Ariadne.

_Pop it, lock it, polka-dot it_

_Countrify, then hip-hop it_

_Put your hawk in the sky, move side to side_

_Jump to the left, stick it, glide_

Ariadne, Cobb, and Yusuf were already cheering.

_Zig-zag across the floor, shuffle in diagonal_

_When the drum hits, hands on your hips_

_One-foot in, 180 twist_

_And then, zig-zag, step n' slide_

_Lean it left, clap 3 times_

Everybody clapped with him.

_Shake it out, head to toe_

_Throw it all together, that's how we roll!_

Eames then grabbed the mic in time to shout:

_Do the hoedown!_

He held the mic out to the audience, and they responded:

_Throwdown!_

He did it again, and they shouted back. Ariadne could not believe it, this was SO incredibly cliché! Just like in the movie! The only way it could get worse was if the entire audience actually got up and danced the whole thing WITH Eames. She chuckled to herself at that.

She was so lost in this ridiculous thought, that she did not notice Eames trying to get her attention. It was only when someone tapped her on the shoulder and pointed up at him, did she realize that he wanted her to go up there with him!

Ariadne (or perhaps it was the alcohol) jumped at the chance, and she ran up on stage as he started the second verse.

_We get to 4, 5, 6, and you're feeling busted_

Eames held out the mic to her, and she belted:

_But it's not time to quit! Practice makes you perfect!_

And then they did the dance together, while singing along with the words:

_Pop it, lock it, polka-dot it_

_Countrify, then hip-hop it_

_Put your hawk in the sky, move side to side_

_Jump to the left, stick it, glide_

By this point, Ariadne had gotten so into it, that she went completely all out; she was dancing so energetically, that the audience began cheering just for her. Even Eames had stopped his dancing to watch her.

_Zig-zag across the floor, shuffle in diagonal_

_When the drum hits, hands on your hips_

_One-foot in, 180 twist_

_And then, zig-zag, step n' slide_

_Lean it left, clap 3 times_

_Shake it out, head to toe_

_Throw it all together, that's how we roll!_

Eames had the mic:

_Do the hoedown!_

Out to the audience:

_Throwdown!_

Then Ariadne:

_Do the hoedown!_

The audience again:

_Throwdown!_

And then Ariadne and Eames put their heads together and shouted into the mic, with as much energy as they could muster:

_Do the hoedown!_

And the crowd responded back, just as enthusiastically:

_Throwdown!_

Ariadne took the mic and sang:

_Throw it all together that's how we roll!_

They all went back to the beat, before doing it one more time. And this time, when Eames shouted, "Every single bloody one of you! Do it with us, now!" Ariadne knew that this would be the most cliché moment she would ever experience. The entire crowd (save for Arthur), got up; even Cobb and Yusuf could be seen, putting their drinks down, and enthusiastically waving their hands in the air. And they did the dance one more time:

_Pop it, lock it, polka-dot it_

_Countrify, then hip-hop it_

_Put your hawk in the sky, move side to side_

_Jump to the left, stick it, glide_

_Zig-zag across the floor, shuffle in diagonal_

_When the drum hits, hands on your hips_

_One-foot in, 180 twist_

_And then, zig-zag, step n' slide_

_Lean it left, clap 3 times_

_Shake it out, head to toe_

_Throw it all together, that's how we roll!_

At this point, Eames shoved the mic into Ariadne's hands, and she exchanged the last few "hoedown throwdowns" with the crowd. At last, at the song's ending, Eames stepped forward, he and Ariadne pushed their mouths as close to the mic as possible, and sang as loud as they could:

_Throw it all together, that's how we roll!_

The crowd would not stop cheering. They cheered extra loud when Eames stepped forward to take his bow, and they went absolutely mad when Ariadne took hers. The two of them then linked hands, took a bow together, and exited the stage.

The crowd was still talking about them, even when other music started to play.

"Good job, man!" Saito high-fived Eames.

"Eames, that was so amazing!" Ariadne was spazzing like a little girl on a sugar rush. She hugged Eames tightly, her arms clamped around his neck.

"Thank you darling, you weren't so bad yourself." Eames replied, patting her on the back. When she finally let go, she was breathing heavily; all that singing and dancing had given her such an adrenaline rush.

"That's a bit of an understatement," said Cobb, smiling at Ariadne.

"And THAT'S a huge understatement!" Yusuf added in; he gave Ariadne a high-five.

Ariadne squealed and hugged Eames again, it was the only way she could think of to channel her energy into something that wasn't jumping up and down or running around like a little kid. Eames chuckled, she was so adorable. Seeing that Arthur staring at the two of them-was that envy on his face?-Eames gave him a wink.

"And THAT is how you have fun, darling." he said. "Think you can do that?"

Arthur put his drink down steadily-at least, as steadily as he could with his hands shaking-and walked right up to Eames. "Oh yeah, Eames. In fact, I can do better than that."

Eames raised his eyebrows in an "oh-really?" expression. Ariadne let go of him, and stared at Arthur in wonderment. Not since the assignment had she seen him with such a determined look in his eyes.

"Come on, Ari." he said, putting down his drink and grabbing her hand.

"Okay!" she was shocked, but admittedly excited.

He gave a Eames a "just-wait-until-you-see-this" smirk, and pulled Ariadne to the designated dance area.

Eames just smirked, picked up Arthur's abandoned drink, and sat down with Cobb and Yusuf. "This should be interesting." he said.

A fast, upbeat, tango had begun to play. Arthur quickly spun around and began to shake his hips. Ariadne looked stunned. Back at the bar, the three men were howling with laughter.

"Arthur, man, what the bloody hell are you doing?" Yusuf yelled with glee. But the couple was so caught up in the music-and each other-that his yell went unnoticed by them.

Ariadne gasped as Arthur took her hand and spun her into his arms. She was surprised he knew how to tango, it seemed so unlike him.

Luckily, Ariadne could remember a few tips on how to tango from when she watched the occasional Dancing with the Stars. Also luckily, the alcohol had seemed to enhance her dancing skills rather than impair them. She wiggled her hips a little, but let Arthur do most of the moving.

They danced for seemed like ages, and even their teammates had to admire how amazing the pair of them were.

After many spins, dips, and much fast-paced footwork, Ariadne was amazed that she was not in the slightest bit dizzy or lightheaded. In fact, she had an urge to move faster.

At the end of the song, Arthur dipped Ariadne, and held her there. His face was awfully close to hers, and his eyes still burned with a passion she had never seen before, it exhilarated her. She had the greatest urge to kiss him, but-

The audience suddenly burst out into wild cheers. Looking around, she realized that the floor was empty, save for her and Arthur, and the crowd had formed into a circle around the two of them.

They made their way back to the bar, where they were met with comments of astonished congratulations.

"Arthur, my man, that was amazing." Yusuf said, slapping him on the back.

"Bloody brilliant," Eames snickered, raising Arthur's glass to him in a toast.

Cobb just clapped; he was lost for words.

Saito high-fived the two of them.

"Arthur, that was so amazing!" Ariadne hugged him tightly, her heart was racing. "I had no idea you knew how to dance like that!"

"Just another thing you don't know about me." Arthur smiled for the first time they had seen him all night.

"Yes, and I'm sure Arthur has _many _hidden talents, sweetheart." Eames winked at Ariadne, causing her and Arthur to blush.

"Thanks Eames." Arthur said loudly, but it was too late to cover up what he had said.

"No problem, darling." replied Eames, raising his glass again, in a toast.

This went unseen however, as Ariadne-no longer being able to contain herself-wound a hand around Arthurs' neck, and pulled him down for a kiss.

Yusuf wolf-whistled. Cobb clapped a hand over the former's mouth, and Eames quickly took a picture of both couples on his camera-phone.

But Ariadne and Arthur didn't care. As they continued to kiss, nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Ariadne wished the kiss could have gone on forever.

Which, of course, was the cue for the timer to end and drag them back to reality.

Ariadne awoke on the floor of the warehouse, next to her teammates.

"Damnit." Ariadne muttered to herself. Why did kisses between her and Arthur have to keep happening in the dream world?

"You know guys," a thought suddenly hit her. "I think next time, we should actually _go out _to celebrate" Ariadne chuckled, taking the wire out of her arm.

"What, you didn't have enough fun?" Eames asked, raising an eyebrow at her. They both looked at Arthur, who gave Ariadne a questionable look.

"No, no! I did!" Ariadne quickly reassured them. "It's just...I mean, when's the last time you guys actually _went out _and had some fun? Don't you guys ever get tired of doing everything, you know...in the dream world?"

Everyone exchanged looks. Finally, Eames decided to break the silence.

"You're right, darling." he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go out tonight."

"Tonight?" Yusuf's eyes were wide. "Come on, man, I'm still getting over an imaginary hangover."

Eames pouted at him.

"C'mon guys, it'll be fun!" Ariadne pleaded.

"I'm game," said Cobb, stepping forward. He looked at the other two. "Guys?"

"Alright." said Yusuf. "But I'm cutting back on the drinks this time."

"No you're not." Eames said, he knew Yusuf too well to take that comment seriously.

"No I'm not." Yusuf sighed.

"Arthur?" Cobb turned to him. Everyone was looking at him now, and Arthur knew there was no point in denying the offer.

"Okay," he said, stepping up to Eames. "But on one condition."

"Name it, darling."

"Don't sing the Hoedown Throwdown again."

Eames' eyes grew wide in disbelief, and he looked at Ariadne, who seemed to be sharing his thoughts. She pouted at Eamers, as if to say "_pleeease?" _Eames smiled. He couldn't resist that pout, no one could.

"Sorry darling, no guarantees." Eames clapped the point man on the shoulder.

Arthur sighed. Ariadne turned her pout towards him.

Arthur was silent for a moment. But when Ariadne silently mouthed "please?", he couldn't restrain himself. "Fine!" He rolled his eyes, giving Ariadne a small smile. Her pout was just too cute. "Fine."

"Thank you, Arthur." She smiled, and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Yes, thank you Arthur, your approval means _so_ much." Eames said, and everyone chuckled.

"Well, **my **condition," Yusuf added, "is that you two lovebirds don't start making out in front of us." Cobb nodded in agreement.

Arthur said nothing, and Ariadne blushed profusely. Everyone started walking to the doors, discussing some places where they could go.

"So Arthur," Ariadne had stayed back to walk with him. "Do you dance as well in real life as you did in the dreams?" She had a sly grin on her face.

Arthur smirked, and sent her a wink. "You'll have to wait and see."

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**Okay, I really don't like this chapter as much as the other two. I feel like there is a lot of redundancy in it, and it just doesn't seem as good...[sigh]. Let me know? It will make me feel better to know what you guys think.**

**Also, PLEASE let me know if you have any ideas for future stories, I would LOVE to hear them! =)**

**Also, I hope you liked what I gave them to drink. It seemed to fit. xD**

**~ByTheBeautifulSea**


	4. Demons

**I'm baaaaack! :D did you all miss me? I missed you guys.**

**I SAW INCEPTION FOR THE 5TH TIME TONIGHT! IT ENDED AT 1 O' CLOCK! AND NOW I AM POSTING THIS! I AM SUPER HAPPY! :D  
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**Anyway, straight to the point: the team is here in the U.S. for their next job. they are on the east coast, so even though it is raining, it is hot (because it is summer). They are currently in a hotel (a couple days before the job, of course they would get there a little early. and they're freakin' rich, so they got NICE hotel rooms). It is mainly focused on Ariadne struggling with some of her inner demons, and Arthur is there to help her out.**

**This chapter is slightly more dramatic and angsty than my previous ones, but it is hopefully still cute with a bit of sweet. =)**

**Disclaimer: me no own.  
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Ariadne couldn't sleep.

It was raining outside. She didn't like rain, it reminded her of her childhood dislike of thunderstorms. She curled up under her blanket, but she didn't feel any safer. She just lay there, unable to sleep, and unable to calm herself. She looked at her clock. 2:04 a.m. She sighed.

If only Arthur was there to wrap his big, strong arms around her, it might be able to help her sleep. She wrapped her own small arms around her body, imagining it was him, but it didn't feel the same. She wanted _Arthur. _She wanted to feel _his_ breath on her neck, she wanted to feel _his_ head nuzzled into the crook of her shoulder, and she wanted to feel _his_ arms curled around her.

She sighed again and got up. It wouldn't hurt to spend just _one _night with him, would it? It was the only way she could think of that might help her sleep. She needed him.

She went to her balcony door and stared at her reflection in the glass for a long time. She was a mess. Her hair was untidy and flying all over the place, her eyes were bloodshot from getting so little sleep, and her favorite pair of navy blue pajamas were wrinkled; no matter how she adjusted them, she didn't look any less disheveled. Ariadne didn't know how long she stood there. She was caught up in the rain; watching it splatter against the balcony door, listening to the way it was falling all around her.

Ariadne couldn't handle it; she began hyperventilating. She could see a woman kneeling in front of her, in pouring rain, crying after a figure that was walking further and further away; she could hear cries of anguish, not sure whether they were the woman's or her own-

A low rumble of thunder brought her back to reality. She looked around, breathing heavily. She was inside; she was in her hotel room, not in the rain. She was dry, she was safe, there was no woman, and no cries of terror...She leaned towards her bedside table, knocking over her totem, just to be sure. It clattered over. Just like a totem should. Reality.

Ariadne let out a breath, leaned her head against the cool glass of the door, and tried to take in some calming breaths, but she was still shaking. She knew that she was now even further from getting any sleep than she was before. One panic attack usually left her feeling weak, and vulnerable to more. Flashes of what she had seen were still running through her head, and she could think of only one way to get rid of them. She needed to see him.

It was her only option, and although it was a long shot that he would answer his door this early in the morning-although she wouldn't be surprised if he had stayed up working, she didn't want to spend the rest of the night awake and alone, fighting a losing battle against her demons.

After what felt like ages, she summoned up her strength and left the room. Not bothering to put on her slippers or a less revealing shirt, she closed the door behind her, and quietly padded Arthur's room, which was right across the hall from hers.

It was locked.

She wiggled the doorknob a couple times, hoping that it would loosen and open up, but to no avail. She sighed and slid down the wall, curling up into a ball there. If she were to fall asleep right here and now, she didn't care; being that much closer to Arthur was making her feel slightly better already.

Her eyes began to drift closed when she heard a voice-

"Ariadne, what are you doing out here?"

She looked up quickly to find Arthur standing in the doorway, wearing only a pair of cotton pajama pants. There were dark circles under his eyes.

"Arthur!" she got up, using the wall for support; she was feeling a bit off balance. They stood there, staring at each other for a while, until Arthur decided to break the silence.

"You going to answer my question?" His words sounded harsh, but his eyes were soft and caring.

"I couldn't sleep." She wasn't looking at him.

They were quiet for a moment, before they both simultaneously moved together in a hug. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until she let it all out in one burst. She eventually pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," she said, "I'll just...go back to bed now." She started to leave, but he pulled her back.

"That's it?" he asked. "You came all the way over here to tell me you couldn't sleep, and now you're just going to leave?" He had a slightly amused look on his face, as though he could see right through her.

She didn't know what to say. "I...I didn't-" she began stuttering. He gave her a knowing look, silencing her.

"I just...thought you could help comfort me." she almost whispered, looking shyly up at him.

He smiled before stepping back to let her inside. She gratefully walked in, but stopped right after the doorway. "I couldn't sleep either." Arthur said as he closed the door. But when he turned to see that she was still standing there awkwardly with her arms wrapped around her small body, he went silent. He put an arm around her and led her towards the middle of the room, but she broke away from him and went to the window to look at the pouring rain outside.

"You okay?" He was still standing where she had left him. He wasn't very good at this whole comforting thing, and of all people Ariadne could choose to go to, she chose him. Not that he wasn't flattered by the gesture; they had gotten awfully close since their first job together. But she knew that he wasn't the best advice-giver, and yet, she always came to him. And Arthur was always there for her, irregardless of when or where; she was one of his best friends, and he would never turn her down.

"I don't like thunderstorms." She began, pulling him away from his thoughts. "It reminds me of when..." she stopped suddenly, and they stood in silence. Arthur's face hardened. He was absorbing every word, cautiously; for he wasn't quite sure he was prepared to hear everything she was going to say.

"It was raining when my dad left. I was nine." She took a shaky breath. "And-and I remember my mom standing out there," she couldn't stop the tears from falling. "She spent 2 hours, kneeling on the ground out there, begging for him to come back..." she tried choking back her sobs, but found that the more she talked, the harder it became.

She felt an arm curl around her shoulders and pull her close, and before she knew it, she was sobbing into Arthur's neck.

He hugged her tightly. He couldn't help but want to spill a few tears with her; this was the first time she had ever opened up to him about her past, and he understood why she had never told him-or anybody else-any of this before. It was horrible, it was eating her up inside, and he hated, more than anything, to see her this way. It killed him to see what these memories were doing to her. He hugged her tighter, and they swayed slightly on the spot.

"And he never came back!" she sobbed. "My mom always believed that he would come back one day." she moved her head down so that it was laying on his chest. "I had to watch her waste her life, waiting for something that never came back."

She pulled herself out of his arms suddenly, and backed away until she was against the opposite wall. She slid down it to the floor.

"That's why I'm so afraid of letting myself get to close to anybody." She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "I don't want to end up like my mom." Her voice had gotten quieter and quieter until it was near a whisper.

Arthur went over to her, knelt down in front of her, and extended his hand. When all she did was look up at him with her tear-streaked face and red eyes, he took both her arms gently, and pulled her up.

She swayed slightly on the spot, and he gripped her tighter and pulled her close to him.

"Ari," he put a hand under her chin and turned her head up so that their faces met. "You're not going to end up like her."

"But how do you know?" she gasped. "How can you be sure that no one's going to leave me again?"

Arthur sighed. "I don't know." he admitted, and it was hard for him to say that to her. "But I **can** assure you that I will never leave you." He looked right into her eyes, penetrating her. "I promise." He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead lightly.

Her mouth formed a shaky smile and she stepped closer to him, pressing their bodies together in a hug.

"Thank you." she murmured into his shoulder.

He smirked slightly, and rubbed her back. After a moment's silence, he said, "You know, when I was little, my dad used to tell me that thunderstorms were what brought zombies to life." He chuckled. "Used to give me nightmares."

Ariadne's body shook slightly, and Arthur noticed-to his relief-that she, too, was giggling.

"That's adorable." she said. "And thanks. Again." She smiled up at him and took some deep, steady breaths.

He returned her grin. "It's good to see that smile." he said, and he wiped her tears away. "Now come on, I think it's time you get some sleep." And he led her to his bed.

"What?" She was shocked when he sat her down on the edge of the bed. "Arthur, what are you doing?"

"I thought you wanted some comfort." he said while pulling the covers back for her. "Come on, Ari, you don't have to sleep alone tonight." He gave her a sweet smile as he moved to the other side of the bed.

Ariadne still sat there, unmoving.

"Ari," Arthur sighed. "You don't have your key, do you?"

"What?" Ariadne suddenly remember that she had left her key on her bedside table, in her room. She wouldn't be able to get back in tonight. "Damnit." she muttered quietly.

"Come on, just sleep here tonight, and we can go get your room unlocked in the morning." Arthur yawned. He was still standing there, waiting for Ariadne to give in and lay down.

Ariadne paused before finally succumbing the soft covers of the bed. She felt her body immediately relax. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; waves of exhaustion were already washing over her. Maybe she would finally be able to sleep, to dream.

She felt Arthur get into bed next to her.

"Arthur," she turned over to face him. "I really appreciate this."

"No problem, Ari." he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "Just try to get some sleep." He stared into her eyes for what felt like ages before she blushed and turned over again. He curled his arm tighter around her and pressed his chest into her back.

Ariadne smiled to herself. Arthur was such a sweet guy. How did she ever manage to deserve someone as great as him? She clung to the arm that was curled around her waist and took in the feel of his smooth skin. His cologne surrounded her, and she breathed it in. She sighed and let her head fall back so that their cheeks touched.

After many minutes-or perhaps it was hours-of nothing happening, Ariadne suddenly felt herself begin to get hot, but it wasn't because of the temperature. Arthur was placing slow, sweet kisses down her neck. She internally moaned and turned her face to meet his; an intense and passionate look was in his eyes. She closed her eyes and kissed him, this time, moaning out loud...but suddenly, Arthur was gone. The scent of his cologne, the feel of his hand, all of _him_...was gone.

When Ariadne woke up, she found that her limbs were splayed across Arthur's body. His head was tilted slightly upward to look at her, and she saw that he was wearing an amused grin. She could feel her face getting red, and she knew what had happened before he spoke.

"So, did you have a nice dream?"

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**THEY SPOONED! :DD (sorry for my spazzing attack, but you guys have no idea how happy it made me to write that! ^_^)**

**Did you all like it? :D I really hope the ending made sense, but in case you didn't get it, the kisses were a dream. ;) yeah. One of those "they're-best-friends-but-she-wants-to-be-more" type of things. poor Ari only dreamed that part. hehehe. and again, I really hope parts of this weren't too repetitive for you guys. it kinda bugged me. :P  
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**Well, this was probably the hardest chapter to write so far, so I dearly hope it was up to scratch! Don't forget to review cos it'll make me want to update faster! ALSO, if you have any ideas for future chapters, let me know! They will be greatly appreciated and I will try my best to write them!**

**Thank you MUCHOS for sticking with me, lovelies! I love you all! *mwah* like I love JGL. ;)  
**

**ByTheBeautifulSea :3  
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